Decay of space charge in a glassy epoxy resin following voltage removal

The PEA technique is used to measure the distribution of space charge in an epoxy resin after polarisation for one week at an applied field of 7.14 kV/mm over a range of temperatures. The decay of the space charge is followed for times up to 114 h after removal of the voltage and analysed in terms of a number of alternative decay mechanisms. It is shown that the rate-determining stage of the decay mechanism is that of a thermally activated process that has been associated with charge de-trapping. At times greater than 102 s the de-trapping process behaves as though the space charge field does not exist and the retention time of the space charge depends only upon the depth of the deepest occupied traps and the temperature